Left Voice

Labor movement

GREECE

Tsipras’ capitulation and the general strike against the agreement

Despite the resounding NO at the referendum last July 5, Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras accepted the demands made by the Troika. A new austerity package is on the way. Syriza has ignored the people's mandate. The call for a general strike by the public workers federation will pose the first challenge to the government.

Syriza took office last January, delivering promises of an end to the memoranda signed by its predecessors of PASOK and New Democracy, and the Troika. The austerity plans led to a real economic destruction, with an unemployment rate of 27% —up to 60% within the youth, and the debt reaching 180 % of the GDP.

Far from the promised "anti-austerity government", Syriza became the "third memorandum" government, accepting one by one the demands of the European Union. The acceptance of harsh conditions to avoid the "Grexit" came after trusting in a Troika that is "willing to negotiate."

A new general strike

The public sector union federation ADEDY has called for a general strike against the new memorandum on the same day of the Congressional vote. This strike will be the first one held by ADEDY since Tsipras took office, but it won’t be the first strike against the Syriza government. At the end of May, doctors and health workers shut down the public hospitals demanding more staff and more money for the public health care system.

According to the ADEDY’s statement, “We are calling for a 24 hour strike at the same time that the Congress will be voting for the unpopular agreement; we are calling a rally at 7 pm at Syntagma Square."

During the last five years, the Greek working class took part in 33 general strikes against Pasok and the New Democracy governments. This 24-hour strike represents the first one against Trispras’ government and its agreement with the creditors. The general strike will come a week after the resounding victory of the NO vote in the referendum.